Andy Babish, PE, Virginia DOT, Materials Division
Andy Babish, PE obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Bluefield State College and his MSCE from Virginia Tech. Andy has been with VDOT for 29 years with the last 18 years as the State Materials Engineer.  He started as a geotechnical engineer designing deep foundations for bridges within VDOT before moving to Materials where he worked on soft ground improvement methods for major projects.  Subsequently, he took roles in various District Materials offices before becoming the State Materials Engineer.
804-328-3102
andy.babish@vdot.virginia.gov

Kerry A. Bates, PE, Virginia DOT, Construction Division
Kerry Bates, PE was named State Construction Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) Construction Division in September 2014.
He oversees VDOT’s advertisement and administration of all construction contracts for the country’s third largest state-maintained highway system, which has more than 127,000 lane miles. With an average of more than $150 million in contracts advertised each month – he is responsible for a statewide Construction Engineering and Inspection workforce of 600 to 900 agency and consultant personnel, depending on the season.
Bates has more than 26 years of VDOT experience. He began his career with the agency in 1999 as the Assistant Resident Engineer for Construction & Engineering in the Chesterfield Residency where he was responsible for multiple projects, including the extension of Route 288 – a limited access freeway in Chesterfield, Powhatan, and Goochland counties. He became the Assistant Division Administrator in VDOT Central Office’s Innovative Project Delivery Division in 2005 to manage the newly created statewide design-build program. In 2010, he was selected as the Assistant State Construction Engineer in charge of the Contract Administration Program as well as the Construction Engineering and Inspection Program.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He is a graduate of AASHTO Leadership Institute, the Transportation Construction Management Institute at Virginia Tech, and serves on various national committees including the AASHTO Committee on Construction, TRB Construction Management Committee, TRB Contract Law Committee, as well as various NCHRP Committees.
kerry.bates@vdot.virginia.gov

Amir Behravan, PhD, PE, Virginia DOT, VTRC
Amir Behravan is a registered professional structural engineer specializing in civil engineering materials. He is currently a research scientist at the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), where he conducts forensic investigations and research on concrete materials, durability, and non-destructive testing, contributing to safer and more resilient transportation infrastructure. He is an active member of multiple technical committees at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Additionally, he serves as an associate editor for the ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.
434-293-1953
amir.behravan@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Hayden Bilyeu, Southeast Cement Promotion Association
Hayden D. Bilyeu holds a Bachelor of Science in Concrete Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University. He has over a decade of experience as an engineering technologist in commercial and heavy civil construction, working as a construction materials testing technician, special inspector, laboratory manager, and project manager. Hayden has technical hands-on experience in soil modification and stabilization, as well as pavement rehabilitation using Full-Depth Reclamation. His focus includes laboratory testing and mix design development, along with the field testing and inspection during construction operations. In 2021, Hayden joined the Southeast Cement Promotion Association as the Pavement Applications Director for Tennessee.
615-427-3213
hbilyeu@secement.org

Eric Carroll, PE, South Carolina DOT, Office of Materials and Research 
Eric Carroll, PE received his BS and ME in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He is a registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina and has over 23 years of experience with SCDOT. He has served in various positions with the SCDOT’s Office of Materials and Research and Director of Construction Office and is currently the State Pavement Design Engineer.
carrolle@scdot.gov

Micah Ceary, PhD, PE, Virginia DOT, Structure & Bridge Division
Micah Ceary, PhD, PE, DBIA, since 2023 has served as VDOT Central Office Structure & Bridge Division Design Engineering Program Manager for the Project Development Program Area. The Project Development Program Area is responsible for VDOT in-house design, coordination of consultant design, and oversight of Tier 2 project. Prior to joining VDOT, Dr. Ceary worked for 24 years on Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build projects from Maryland to South Carolina. Dr. Ceary thesis and dissertation investigated in-situ presence and characterization of delayed ettringite formation in Maryland bridges.
804-786-1527
Micah.Ceary@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Michael Copeland, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Transportation Department
Mike Copeland manages the Construction and Materials Quality Program at Idaho Transportation Department, where he focuses on data-driven quality assurance, asphalt pavements, and construction materials. In recent years he has been exploring practical ways DOTS can us AI. Both to improve day-to-day workflows and to better understand the new risks that genAI introduces for quality assurance.
Michael.Copeland@itd.idaho.gov

Greg Dean, ACPA-SE Chapter
Greg Dean is the Executive Director of the American Concrete Pavement Association – Southeast Chapter where he is responsible for the education and advocacy of concrete pavements for Airport, Highway and Local Road applications within the Southeast. He currently serves on ACPA’s Engineering and Design Committee. As part of the Airport Concrete Pavement Technology Program (ACPTP), Greg also serves as a technical panel member for three ongoing projects:

1. Design and Performance of Thin Concrete Pavement for Airfields (ACPTP 2022-7)
2. Assessment of Flooding Resilience of Airfield Pavements (ACPTP 2024-9)
3. Charlotte Douglas International Airport Instrumentation of Runway
Greg is a graduate of NC State University (B.S. Civil Engineering).
919-656-5930
gdean@acpa.org

Dennis Dempsey, PE, FYFE
Dennis Dempsey, PE is the Mid-Atlantic Business Development Manager for FYFE. He has been with FYFE for six years, introducing structural engineers to FRP and assisting them with its design, detailing, and specification development. He serves as the main point of contact for all FYFE-certified FRP installers, assisting them from the bidding stages of a project through the construction and QA/QC stages. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states and spent eleven (11) years working as a structural engineer in the private consulting world prior to joining FYFE. Dennis has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering Focus) from the University of Delaware.
410-299-4167
dennis.dempsey@henkel.com

Roger Faulkner, PE, Southeast Cement Promotion Association
Roger Faulkner, PE is the Executive Director of the Southeast Cement Promotion Association, Inc. (SCPA). SCPA is a trade association of cement companies in the southeastern United States which promotes cement and concrete infrastructure solutions in the 9-state area of AL, GA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV. He has  47 years of experience in the construction and engineering design industry and has been in his current role since 2011. He has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Capital University, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) Degree from The Ohio State University and is a Professional Engineer.
770-807-2868
rfaulkner@secement.org

Michael Fitch, PhD, Virginia DOT, VTRC
Michael Fitch, PhD, leads the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), the research division of the Virginia Department of Transportation. He oversees a team of more than 75 researchers, students, and support staff engaged in applied research, technical consulting, and innovation deployment in support of VDOT’s mission.
He has served as Director for more than three years and has been part of VTRC for over three decades, including five years as Deputy Director and earlier service as a research scientist. Before joining VTRC, Mike worked as a transportation consultant in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia.
michael.fitch@vdot.virginia.gov

T.R. Fluker, PE, Schnabel Engineering / Virginia Chapter ACI
T.R. Fluker, PE is a Principal with Schnabel Engineering and the past President of the Virginia Chapter of the American Concrete Institute.
804-482-2002
TFluker@schnabel-eng.com

Chris Foley, PE, WSP
Chris Foley, PE is a Vice President at WSP with over 16 years of experience in the design, construction and rehabilitation of bridges and tunnels. He is currently serving as the Engineering Manager for VDOT on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project, where he is responsible for engineering oversight and review across all disciplines on this $3.9 billion project. In his previous role, he served as project manager for the VDOT statewide tunnels contract, and he has worked at all of the tunnels in the Commonwealth. Chris received a BS in Civil Engineering from UVA and he is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.
434-882-2010
Chris.Foley@wsp.com

Tyler Kaplan, PE, CJGeo
Tyler Kaplan, PE is the Stormwater Market Lead and Preconstruction Sales Engineer at CJGeo. Licensed in Virginia and North Carolina, Tyler brings over five years of engineering site and stormwater design experience to the preconstruction process. Beyond his technical role, Tyler is a committed industry leader; he serves on the Young Leaders Board for the Hampton Roads Utility and Heavy Contractors Association (HRUHCA)—where he is a past President—and maintains an active role as a consulting Civil Engineer for CivilforSite.
tyler@cjgeo.com

Danielle Kleinhans, PhD, PE, F.ACI, Mateenbar Composite Reinforcements
Danielle Kleinhans, PhD, PE, F.ACI is Director of Engineering and Business Development for Mateenbar. She has over 20 years’ experience in structural engineering and association leadership. Most recently she worked for the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) for more than a decade and ultimately as President/CEO. She also worked for CTLGroup and Modjeski and Masters, Inc. as a structural engineer. Kleinhans earned a BS in civil engineering from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and an MS and PhD in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. She serves on numerous industry committees related to reinforced concrete construction, is a licensed professional engineer and a fellow of the American Concrete Institute.
danielle.kleinhans@mateenbar.com

Martha Moore, CJGeo
Martha Moore is the Director of Business Development at CJGeo Contractors, leveraging nearly 20 years of experience in sales and sales management. With an undergraduate degree in Professional Communications from Old Dominion University, her background in sales, marketing, leadership, and entrepreneurship drives strategic growth through strong team and client collaboration.
Ms. Moore specializes in the Geotechnical and Structural Engineering sectors, where she oversees marketing and sales programs for both the Utility Grouting and Geo/Structural markets. Martha is focused on settlement mitigation for bridges, roads, and buildings, utilizing polyurethane and chemical grouts for settlement correction and low-density cellular concrete for load reducing lightweight fill.
martha.moore@cjgeo.com

Matt Munsick, Andale Construction / ACEiT Industries
Matt has over 25 years of managing industrial, commercial, residential, environmental, and heavy highway civil construction projects including Design Build. Prior to joining Andale Construction, he was an independent Civil Construction Consultant to Contractor and Engineering Firms; Project Manager for McCarthy Improvement Company. Previously, he was with Lane Hauling and Excavating; Morgan Corp.; Pinkerton and Laws, Inc. His experience spans many different facets of construction. Munsick holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of South Carolina.
864-434-3550
matt@andaleconstruction.com

Aline Nascimento, North Carolina State University
Aline Cristiane Kumpfer Nascimento is a PhD student in civil engineering at North Carolina State University, working under the guidance of Dr. Moe Pourghaz and Dr. Greg Lucier. Her research focuses on alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete, with an emphasis on developing a modified T-FAST test as a chemical approach to assess ASR risk in hardened mixtures. By quantifying ion leaching using X-ray fluorescence and other mineralogical techniques, Aline aims to improve the prediction of concrete behavior in the field, helping to mitigate durability issues in infrastructure.
kumpfe@ncsu.edu

Celik Ozyildirim, PhD, PE, Virginia DOT, VTRC
Celik Ozyildirim, PhD, PE is a Principal Research Scientist with the Virginia Transportation Research Council, a division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). His research areas are concrete materials – including ingredients, properties, testing and specifications – and concrete reinforcement. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia. He is active in the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). He is a Fellow of the ACI. He is past chairman of the TRB section on concrete. He was an instructor in civil engineering at the University of Virginia. He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia.
434-293-1977
celik@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Aaron Powell, PE, North Carolina DOT, Divisions 13 & 14
• Area Construction Engineer for Divisions 13 & 14, which is western-most 17 counties of North Carolina.
• 1999 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BS in Civil Engineering
• Nearly 27 years with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 11 years as an Asst Resident Engineer, 8 years as a Resident Engineer, 8 years in current position
• Registered Professional Engineer in North and South Carolina
• Married for 20 years. Wife, Michelle, is a native of South Hill, Va. 2 children – Makayla and Michael.
apowell@ncdot.gov

John Roberts, International Grooving & Grinding Association
John Roberts has been the Executive Director of the International Grooving and Grinding Association (IGGA) since 1999. Prior to joining the IGGA, John was employed by Ebasco Services Inc., where he worked on projects ranging from radioactive cleanups to reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge. John also was the owner of a concrete contracting company located in New York where he specialized in the construction of bridges, pavements and structures. John was an honor student graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.
jroberts@igga.net

Kirk Roberts, CJGeo
Kirk Roberts is Chief Executive Officer of CJGeo, a specialty grouting contractor headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Kirk focuses on permeation, cellular & thermal grouting to solve challenges in the infrastructure construction market.
While not managing grouting programs to address 25 million gallon per day leaks and facilitate TBM hyperbaric interventions, Kirk spends his time raising the third generation of CJGeo ownership, and is Treasurer of the board of the Richmond Ambulance Authority.
kirk@cjgeo.com

Tyler Rogers, PE, CPM, North Carolina DOT, Divisions 11, 13, & 14
• Regional Bridge Construction Engineer for Divisions 11, 13, & 14 (Mountain Region).
• Graduate of the University of Tennessee with a BS in Civil Engineering.
• Served in the consulting sector for a short time before joining NCDOT, where I have worked for nearly 10 years.
• Has served in Preconstruction, Construction and Maintenance Unit roles within NCDOT.
• Married for 12 years, to Holly Rogers, father to 2 boys and expecting another child in June.
rtrogers1@ncdot.gov

Mary Sharifi, Virginia DOT, VTRC
Mary Sharifi is a Research Scientist with the Virginia Transportation Research Council, a division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Her research areas are concrete materials and reinforcements as well as environmental issues for sustainability. She received her Master’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia. She is the author of two papers in the field of renewable energy, and co- author of papers that were presented at recent TRB annual meetings in the field of high-performance concrete, pervious concrete, culvert repair, mass concrete, and workable and durable concretes for bridge repairs.
Mary.Sharifi@vdot.virginia.gov

John Tuschak, Crowder Construction Company
John Tuschak, DBIA, has significant experience in design-build construction with Crowder, managing projects ranging from $5 million to $550 million. He is an accomplished Heavy Civil project sponsor with more than 20 years of industry experience and an expertise in design-build collaboration, project and operations management, and geotechnical solutions. He excels in understanding clients’ needs and the process it takes to get from concept to completion. His work experience includes: large grading projects, water/sewer line relocations, drainage, micro tunneling, boring, HDD up to 42 in, sheeting/shoring, pile driving, rail (light and heavy), varying electrical components, roadway and bridge structures.
JTuschak@crowderusa.com

Siva Venugopalan, Siva Corrosion Services, Inc.
Siva Venugopalan graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering. He also has a Masters in Geotechnical Engineering and a Bachelors in Civil Engineering. He is a member of the FHWA Bridge Preservation Expert Task Group and is a Cathodic Protection Specialist certified by NACE. He has published his work in a number of peer-reviewed journals.
Mr. Venugopalan has over 35 years of experience in field efforts related to materials, concrete deterioration and embedded steel corrosion, non-destructive testing (NDT), and conventional as well as electrochemical rehabilitation techniques to preserve bridge components. He has developed a unique testing routine to quantify corrosion problems and extend service lives of reinforced concrete, steel, pre-stressed, post-tensioned, and cable stayed structures.
Mr. Venugopalan is President and Principal Engineer of Siva Corrosion Services. Their goal is to cost-effectively preserve and extend the service life of infrastructure.
610-692-6551
Siva@SivaCorrosion.com

Chaz Weaver, PE, CPEM, F.ASCE, Virginia DOT, Staunton District
• VDOT Staunton District Materials Engineer for the past 20 years
• Member of VTRC/VDOT Geotechnical, Bridge, and Pavement Research Advisory Committees
• Member of TRB Standing Committee on Quality Assurance Management (AKJ13)
• Master’s degree in Engineering Management (ODU, 2011)
• B.S. Civil Engineering (VT, 1998)
• Certified Professional Engineering Manager (ASEM, 2015)
540-746-8801
Chaz.Weaver@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Andy Zickler, PE, Virginia DOT, Structure & Bridge Division
Andy Zickler, PE is the Program Manager for Complex Bridge and ABC Support. He has been at VDOT since 2001. Prior to 2001, he performed bridge inspection and design for several engineering consultants for 13 years. He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia.
804-839-1031
andy.zickler@vdot.virginia.gov